FullMetal Alchemist: Another Side of the Gate
by Linen Tartaruga
Summary: What happens when your entire world falls apart, but you can't for the sake of the only person you have left? A tragic accident tears the Elric family assunder and it's up to the eldest son to pick up the pieces of his broken life and put it back together
1. 1: Older Brother, 12 Younger Brother, 8

**Summary:** What happens when your entire world falls apart, but you can't for the sake of the only person you have left? A tragic accident tears the Elric family assunder and it's up to the eldest son to pick up the pieces of his broken life and put it back together in hopes that atleast his brother might be able to lead a semi-normal life.  
**Rating:** R for violence and graphic imagery.  
**Warnings:** AU, some spoilers, violence, graphic imagery, angst, pain and suffering, there won't be a lot of happiness coming all that soon, so just be prepared ;p

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing that even remotely resembles FullMetal Alchemist, save for volumes 1-3 of the DVD's, volume 1 of the manga, three soundtracks, two issues of Newtype, two packs of trading cards, a silver pocketwatch, and, soon, the Hagaren Song File CD's for Roy Mustang and Edward Elric.  
**Notes:** This fic takes place in an Alternate Universe, meaning a lot of the things you will encounter will not be the same as the actual series. For example, using the date on Ed's watch as a starting point, we can surmise that, in the series, Ed was born in 1899 and that the Ishbal Conflict, roughly, took place in and around 1906. The latter date will remain the same, however, the year of Ed's birth has been changed to 1888, which would make this particular installment of this fic in the year 1900, also, making Ed's age to be 12.

Why have I done this? Simple. As you will later find out, or, actually, as you will later read, as you are about to find out, this is a companion-fic. The idea came from a proposed RP in which Ed would be taking advantage of Roy, however the only point at which we know of where Roy would be easily taken advantage of is during the Ishbal Conflict (if you don't know what I'm talking about, best just to skip this fic, unless you don't mind spoilers), however, with the timeline as it is in the series -- and the fact that Ed is eight years old when this takes place -- it is rather impossible to do it within the actual series. So! It was decided that it would be an AU RP, in which Ed would have to be atleast 18 in order to make him an official soldier and send him off to Ishbal _with_ Roy. Also, his past has changed (obviously), and that was the point of this fic. Originally I had just wanted to get his past straight in my head just to make sure that everything was consistant and would make sense, because I am just a bit anal when it comes to details; but it turned into a fic after I had to decide on a different reason he'd lost his limbs; because if I had kept his backstory the same as in the series, then the RP just wouldn't have worked right. So! I tweaked things around a bit (quite a bit, actually), and this is the first part of the result.

Next installment will be either after Ed wakes up in the hospital or a couple of years later, I haven't decided yet. And I hate to give myself a deadline, especially considering I'm not even sure what point in the timeline I'm going to set the next chapter in, because I'll probably just end up disappointing myself and anyone who's actually waiting on the next chapter, but, considering I _really_ am looking forward to doing this RP and I refuse to do it until I've finished Ed's backstory, you should expect the next chapter up no later than next week .

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**Chapter One: Older Brother, 12 Younger Brother, 8**

There was smoke everywhere. Clouds of dirt choked him every time him breathed in. There were people coughing and crying, moaning and, even more frightening, simply not making any sounds at all. And it was so hot.

But, that wasn't anything that concerned Ed, not yet anyway. The twelve-year-old was more concerned with the whimpering form beneath him.

"Al?" Damn but his voice sounded strained even to _him_. "Al, are you alright?"

"I'm...I'm alright." Came the whimpered reply, "But...but, Brother, your-"

"I know!" the older blonde retorted sharply. Yes, he knew. But if he didn't think about it, if he didn't look, then the pain wasn't so bad. Right now, Ed had to concentrate on how to get both he and his brother out of the twisted remains of the train.

"Brother?"

"Yeah?"

"...W-...where are...where are Mom and Dad?"

Ed looked down from where he'd been searching the train for an easy way out...and then across from them to where their parents had been sitting. "I can't see them." he answered truthfully. The large chunk of metal that had crushed his right arm was blocking his view. Of course, the older brother knew very well that, if he couldn't hear them calling for the two boys, then it was very likely that both were dead. "Al," he murmured before the younger boy could react, "Do you see the window behind us?"

He felt his brother shifting beneath him, he could also feel him beginning to shake almost violently with what he saw there. "Brother, your leg-"

"Alphonse!" he said sharply, cutting his brother off. "The window. Is the glass completely gone?" There wasn't an answer for a few moments. "Al-"

"Yes!" the boy answered finally, "It's all gone, there's nothing left in the window."

"Good." Ed breathed a slight sigh of relief. "So you'll be able to get out through it."

"What? No!" Alphonse stiffened beneath his brother. "Brother, I won't leave you here! I can't!"

"Al, don't argue with me, just go." Again there was no answer, but there was no movement either, and Ed was starting to get dizzy. "Look, I'll follow you in a second, okay? I just need to get this thing off my arm."

"Let me help you!"

"No!" Ed sighed and pressed a kiss to the younger boy's forehead. "You need to get out of here while you can. Can't you smell the smoke? I'll be out right behind you, just _go_."

"You promise?"

The older boy blinked down a bit in surprise at the question, and that, more than anything, proved to Al that his older brother hadn't been planning on coming out. "Brother," he frowned, his eyebrows furrowing in a look of determination whose only match was the one that his older brother had perfected years ago.

Ed was helpless against it, and immediately he began devising a plan to get himself out of the train as well. "Alright," he murmured, "I promise." The older blonde reached with his left arm to ruffle the younger blonde's hair. "Now go on."

Al nodded before carefully sliding out from beneath his older brother, pausing when the older boy winced, but each time he was reassured by Ed that he was fine and he continued on. By the time he was finally able to stand up, he noticed the blood seeping into his shorts and the bottom of his shirt from his brother's severed leg, but before he had the chance to squat down and examine it, Ed was shouting at him even more impatiently, and the younger blonde flashed his brother a worried glance before nodding, and he finally carefully made his way towards the window over all of the broken and blood-stained glass and he climbed onto a seat and out the window.

From the sound of voices shouting outside, Ed could tell that _someone_ had shown up atleast, and hopefully they had called the police. But, now that he was sure that Alphonse would be taken care of, he had to turn his attention back to getting _himself_ out of the train; he'd promised his brother, after all.

The older blonde turned back to the great hunk of steel crushing his arm and pushed against it with his left hand experimentally. The movement only caused lights to burst behind his eyes, so he stopped and lay there for a minute or so, trying to get his mind back in working order. Once the boy could see straight again, he turned his attention to the spot where his arm disappeared beneath the metal; he was actually quite lucky that it had missed his head, though just barely. In the meantime, if he even survived this, there was no doubt in his mind that he would lose his arm, and he'd already lost his leg.

That was it then. That was the only solution. Ed reached down to the stump that had once been his left leg, dipping his fingers in the puddle of blood beneath. There was no point in moving the metal away enough that he could pull out his useless arm, especially if it was only going to have to come off anyway, and it would just get in the way as he was trying to get out of the train. Clenching his teeth, Ed tore away his shirt, baring his shoulder, not even flinching as he saw the already discoloring skin, and his arm was already nearly half-torn off anyway. That just made it easier for him. The blonde carefully drew an array onto his shoulder using the blood on his fingers -- an array he'd only ever used a few times before, but knew would work, atleast for his purposes.

The three basic steps for Alchemy are Understanding, Decomposition, and Reconstruction. In order to transmute anything, you needed to understand the elements you are working with and how they are composed, then you must break them down, and then rebuild them as something else, using the power from the drawn array. However, Ed had realized something during one of his study sessions with their father: If part of the process was the breaking down of the elements involved, then wouldn't it be possible to simply stop the process there and then you'd have all of the basic components?

'Well, yes,' Hohenheim had answered, a little surprised that an eleven-year-old would even think of such a thing. 'Why do you ask?'

The blonde had shrugged, his gaze never turning away from the book he'd been reading. 'I was just thinking.' he murmured, not really thinking he'd suggested anything too spectacular. Surely if _he'd_ thought of it, then other Alchemists had. 'It would probably be a good thing for architects or miners to know how to do. It would make things easier for them when they're trying to demolish buildings or dig mines.'

Hohenheim had made Edward promise to keep this idea to himself, and when the boy had asked him why he'd simply answered that, once Edward figured out 'why' himself, then he son could do whatever he liked with the idea.

The eldest son still didn't understand why, a year later, but he did know that he was capable of performing Alchemy like this. He had worked on it some with his father in private, and, while he hadn't perfected the technique as well as Hohenheim had, his skills were good enough that he could accomplish what he needed to in his present circumstances.

Ed thought back on everything his father had taught him as he placed his hand over the array and he gritted his teeth as it activated with a red glow. The sickening sound of tearing flesh was almost completely drowned out by the boy's cry as his arm was torn from his body.

Blood. There was so much blood. He had to stop the bleeding. The blonde thought he could hear voices nearby, shouting and getting louder. He really wished they would be quiet though, he could barely think straight as it was. Golden eyes glanced down at his shoulder, seeing the tatters of his shirt and he managed to tie the fabric over the bloodied stump using his left hand and his teeth. There wasn't anything he could really do about his leg, but Ed's vision was beginning to blur again, and he realized he didn't really have the time to worry about it; he still had to get out of the train.

Balancing himself on his left hand and right knee, Edward forced himself to crawl through the pool of blood and glass towards the window, not letting himself react to the shards of broken glass slicing away at his skin; though, then again, the cuts just might not have hurt as much as they should have, and this only made Edward move faster. He couldn't afford to pass out in here, not if he was going to keep his promise to his brother. If he passed out, then there was no telling when someone might find him, if at all, and he would most surely bleed to death.

He managed to get up onto the chair, though not without a lot of difficulty, and the blonde's head swam with the effort; but he couldn't let himself stop, not even to regain his balance. He didn't have much farther to go -- just through the window, and then he'd be out, he'd have kept his promise to his brother and then it would be up to those voices shouting outside. Ed reached over and grabbed a hold of the edge of the window and, gathering up all of his strength, he launched himself out.

The last thing Edward remembered was hitting the ground, hard, and then those voices were getting even louder. The blonde's eyes were getting heavier and he couldn't see much, except a lot of jumbled shadows and a bright light that kept flickering between them. When he finally couldn't keep his eyes open anymore, the voices faded away, as did the shadows and that light; all that was left was an empty silence, as if the entire world had suddenly just stopped moving -- had just _died_ -- and, when he opened his eyes, there was nothing, not even he seemed to truly be there. The only thing that appeared to exist at all, that seemed more real than anything Edward could remember, was the massive stone doorway towering above him, and those doors opening before him.


	2. 2: Older Brother, 15 Younger Brother, 11

**For Summary, Disclaimer, Ratings, Warnings, and explanations about the timeline changes please see first Chapter.**

**Notes** Woot! I gave myself until the end of Wednesday to finish this chapter, and I made it with a whole minute to spare XD Of course, I know that this is being posted technically on Thursday, but I did technically finish writing it on Wednesday, so, yay for me! Especially considering it's only two days later, as opposed to the week I'd originally given myself. It probably took longer than it should have, but I kept getting distracted by silly little things like where exactly I'd wanted to take the plot, and then having to rethink it 'cause I'd accidentally gone and messed with Roy's story without asking when I probably shouldn't have. But the plot still works this way, and it actually ended up not really effecting the story at all anyways.

Okay, so, yes, please note that Winry's parents are alive, but I couldn't have them around just because I don't have a very good idea of what they were like and, for some reason, it just felt wrong to try and come up with something for them, besides that the Elrics seem to have been closer to Pinako than Sarah and...well, whatever her father's name was anyway. So, the explanation is that they are in Ishbal (I know, so original, right:O). They probably weren't there as long as I'm making them be in the original series, but, hey, it's an AU fic so XP Besides that that would also have made the Rockbell residence _very_ crowded indeed.

Be warned that there will only be one more part after this, and it'll probably be longer than both the first and second chapters. After that there will be the RP, though I can't say when that'll be done, but I don't think I'll post that here, just 'cause it's going to be smut-ful and is weird about that. So, instead I'll remind you now, in the next chapter, and I'll even make a seperate chapter directing any readers to my greatestjournalwhose link you can find in my profile here.

Expectthe final chapter out soon:)

Also, **CreamyMimi** thanks so much for the review :) Short and sweet can sometimes be just as ego-boosting as the long drawn-out ones ;) And, I must say, I'm glad that this apparently works as an independant fic instead of just random backstoryness sweatdrop

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**Chapter Two: Older Brother, 15 Younger Brother, 11**

"Edward! Time for dinner!"

His concentration broken, Edward Elric blinked towards the source of that voice, mid-kick, and frowned a little, unable to follow through, and he just finished out the spin and let his leg fall lazily to the ground.

"Edward!"

"Alright, y'old hag, I'm comin'!" Ed shouted, turning back towards the house and muttered under his breath. "Stupid old bat."

"I heard that, pipsqueak!"

"Who're you callin' a midget so small he can't even reach the doorknob!"

A sharp chuckle that was one step away from being a cackle was the boy's only answer and Ed rolled his eyes, turning back towards the nearby fence and grabbing the towel he'd discarded over it. "Stupid old bat," he muttered again, carefully polishing away the sweat and grime from his metallic prosthetic limbs and making a note to take a shower after dinner or Winry might have a fit. Sometimes it seemed as if the older girl cared more about her precious automail than any actual person; he knew it probably wasn't true, and Al always assured him it wasn't, but sometimes...

It didn't matter, he supposed, as long as she built and attached his arm and leg properly, he didn't really care. With a quiet sigh, Ed wiped the sweat from his face and neck, draped the towel over his shoulders, and then pulled on his pants over his boxers before heading back inside.

The second he walked through the door, the boy was nearly toppled over by a blonde with a scowl nearly as intimidating as his own.

"Is everything alright?" Winry demanded, tugging at his right arm and examining it carefully.

Ed immediately tugged it back, rubbing slightly at the seem where flesh met steel. "Geez, Winry, lay off!" he reproved, brushing past her once he was sure the girl hadn't caused any serious damage to _him_ when she was checking for any damage to the prosthetic. "You act like I was just beating it with a rock or something."

The girl's cheeks burned slightly and she fixed Ed with an ugly scowl. "You're always using it so roughly though, what if-"

"'What if' nothing." Ed retorted, cutting her off as he spun to poke at her shoulder a bit roughly. "The way you fuss over my automail over little things like this just makes me think that you didn't build it properly."

"What!" Winry flushed in anger. "How _dare_ you accuse me of something so careless! Granny and I build the finest automail in the _country_; it's perfect in every way and _you're_ just lucky that we even accept your business, you ungrateful little shrimp!

"Who are you calling a super hyper mega shrimp who could use splinters for arms and legs! I'm your best customer, so you better just watch it! I could always bring my business to someone better qualified and who'll do things right the _first_ time around!"

"_Hey_, I only messed up that _one time_ and it was a _year_ ago! Besides, it wasn't _that_ big of a deal!"

"'Wasn't that big of a deal'! _My arm stopped working_! I was in the middle of chopping _wood_! I could've _killed_ myself!"

The bickering abruptly stopped as both blondes suddenly found themselves sopping wet, and they both turned to the pint-sized woman hovering over them with an enormous bucket which had, just a moment ago, held the water that was now soaking into the youths clothes and the floor beneath them. "Now go dry yourselves off and sit down. Dinner's ready." With that, Pinako Rockbell dropped a towel over both of their heads with a smirk and hopped off of the chair, dragging it back over to the table before going to put away the bucket.

Winry blinked after the woman in slight surprise, her former anger completely forgotten. Ed just scowled, thrusting the towel at the girl with a soft growl as he tugged his hair out of its braid (it had already been coming out anyway) and wrang it out, not at all caring about whether the floor got wet or not; it was already soaked anyway. He saw Winry beginning to do the same, only with the dry towel, and he headed for the workshop, stealing a towel from in there to dry himself off and he deposited both the new towel and the one he'd already had over the handle of one of their toolboxes to dry.

When he returned to the dining room, rebraiding his hair, Ed saw that the older blonde had seemingly dried completely, but only shrugged and figured that she must have gotten changed as he took the seat at the table across from Al. "Was that really necessary, Auntie?" he asked, not a little irritated.

"I know you two better than I know my own _son_," Pinako replied, still with that arrogant smirk, "If I'd have let you keep on you'd be strangling each other right now."

The blonde just snorted and turned back to his dinner; they all knew very well that, no matter how loud he and the older blonde's shouting matches went, they'd never seriously hurt each other. Well, no, that wasn't _entirely_ true -- Ed was still plotting a way to get that damned wrench away from Winry before she gave him a concussion.

The group ate in silence for a while, Ed noticing that his brother kept sneaking glances at him between forkfulls of corn. "Something wrong?" the blonde asked, "I don't have something growing on my face do I?" The change in demeanor was immediate, and Ed quickly began searching his face frantically with his hands, eyes crossing to find the disgusting growth that he was obviously convinced his little brother must have seen to have been looking at him like that; he didn't even notice the warm smiles that Winry and Pinako were gazing at him with.

It had the desired effect, and Al was soon clearly trying very hard not to giggle at the older boy's antics. "Brother." he chided with a smile that was trying not to be. He _was_ eleven, after all; much too old to be amused by such things.

"So I don't then?" Ed blinked over at the younger boy and then heaved a dramatic sigh of relief. "Well, okay then."

"I was just thinking," Al murmured, his expression turning slightly hesitant, and he turned his attention back to his plate, dragging his fork through his mashed potatoes. "It's been three years...and I was just wondering if you'd come to see Mom and Dad with me after dinner."

He didn't need to say what it had been three years since; everyone at the table knew, and Winry abruptly turned back to her own dinner, while Pinako simply just gazed at the older brother expectantly. She wasn't disappointed though, and Ed just smiled softly at his brother and nodded. "Of course I will," he answered, as if the mere _idea_ that he wouldn't was laughable. Though he knew, just as well as anyone at that table, that it had taken a _lot_, at first, to get him to calm down after even _suggesting_ that he go and visit their parents' graves those first few months after the accident.

The blonde had fallen into a depression, and understandably so. He hadn't wanted to be around _anyone;_ the only presence he'd even _consider_ suffering was that of Al's, but everyone could see the pain in the elder brother's eyes, even when he could pretend that he was happy. Every time Ed had caught a glimpse of the scars running down Al's legs, or the younger blonde mentioned something that would remind him, even vaguely, of the accident. He blamed himself; Pinako could see it plain as day, but she just couldn't understand why, and she wasn't sure she ever entirely would. She knew that Edward considered it his responsibility to take care of his little brother, but this was _hardly_ something he could have prevented.

There was something else though; something very strange that had...she wasn't entirely sure. There was something different about the older boy, that couldn't entirely be explained away by what he'd been through. It wasn't just the fact that Edward had quite suddenly acquired the ability to perform Alchemy without using a drawn array, though that was a bit worrysome in and of itself. But the blonde seemed...not quite more intelligent, but more _knowledgable_. Edward was no smarter than he had been before the accident, he'd always been able to take in massive amounts of information at the drop of a hat and he still could; however the _amount_ of what he knew seemed to have increased. Though, of course, there was no way she could possibly prove this.

But, what _really_ bothered Pinako Rockbell, even more than the unexplainable increase of knowledge, were the nightmares that had plagued the older blonde's sleep for the months after the accident. On many occasions, the woman had awoken to Ed's screams and moans and, when she went to wake him up, she would find him thrashing in his bed against some unseen foe, crying for them to let him go. It was the same thing night after night, and it had gotten to the point where Ed wouldn't even sleep at night, the only reason she really knew this was that he would often drift off during the day, though the dreams didn't let up any, even with the sun to chase them away.

The decline of those nightmares seemed to coincide almost directly with his lifting of spirits, however, and, nearly half a year after the Elric brothers' world had been pulled out from beneath them, Ed had finally been able to visit Trisha andHohenheim Elric's graves, though he had gone alone. Not even Alphonse knew what exactly had gone on there, but when his older brother had finally come back, he seemed nearly his old self again. Well...no that wasn't entirely true; there was still a heavy weight that seemed to have permanantly settled on those all-too-young shoulders, and he still didn't particularly care for the company of anyone that wasn't the younger Elric. But he was atleast being _civil_ to other people, suffering their company, and he wasn't brooding anymore.

"So, Edward," Pinako asked conversationally as she began clearing the dishes from the table, "You're getting to the point where you ought to start thinking about what you're going to do with your life. In just three years you'll be eighteen. Not that I mind putting you boys up," she added, "You know you'll always have a place here."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know," the blonde drawled, a slight smirk twisting up his lips as Ed helped the woman clear the table. "Just come out and say it, you don't want us mooching offa you any longer than is necessary." He knew that wasn't true, and he knew Pinako knew he knew that wasn't true, either. "I've already decided what I'm gonna do, but I have to wait until I'm eighteen anyway, so I guess you'll just be stuck with us _until_ then."

"Oh really?" Pinako raised an eyebrow at the boy and regarding him thoughtfully for a moment before finally asking, "And what have you decided?"

"I'm going to get my State Certification and join the Military as a State Alchemist."

Pinako frowned, stopping as she was placing the leftover pork chops on a plate to save. The woman's eyes slid closed and she carefully put down the plate and forkshe was holdingand hopped down from the step stool she used to reach the counter. "Winry, Al," she called out to the dining room where the two other youths were finishing cleaning up. "You two finish cleaning up, Edward and I need to discuss something." That last she directed at the boy himself, and she quickly left the kitchen, heading through the dining room and up the stairs to her own bedroom, without even glancing back to make sure the blonde was following.

Ed knew better than to go against Pinako when she was serious like this, however, and he pointedly ignored the curious and vaguely worried looks he got from Winry and Al as he followed her up to her room. "So what's this all about?" he asked once he'd closed the door behind him. Though he couldn't say he didn't have some idea as to what had gotten the woman so upset.

"I know very well that you will do what you want regardless of anything _I_ have to say about it, Edward," the woman began, chewing patiently on the end of her pipe, "But I can't, in my own mind, let you do this without saying _something_."

The blonde simply sighed and waited for the lecture to begin, but, instead of speaking, Pinako simply turned and walked towards her closet. She opened the doors and turned to Ed. "Do you see that hatbox on the shelf up there?" He nodded. "Take it down."

He hesitated a moment, but did as he was told, pulling over one of the stepping stools that were scattered around the house, and he carefully pulled down the box so as not to disturb any of the other boxes and trinkets and old clothes that were sitting up there. There wasn't a lack of dust, as if it had been lying there untouched for years, and the blonde nearly choked as a cloud of it enveloped his head. "Here," he coughed, handing Pinako the box and trying to wave the dust away so he could breathe properly.

"Sit down." the woman ordered without preamble, hopping up to sit on the bed and opening the box. Ed could see what looked like photographs in there as he sat down, and a few letters and scraps of paper. Pinako sifted through them before finding the one she was looking for, without even letting Ed see any of them clearly, though he'd thought he'd caught glimpses of his parents. He was proven correct as he was handed the photograph Pinako had plucked from the pile.

It was, indeed, Trisha and Hohenheim Elric, much younger than he'd ever remembered them, so he could only assume this had been taken before he or Al had been born. Although Trisha was younger than he'd ever seen her, the boy's mother still looked exactly as the last time he'd seen her -- smiling kindly at the camera, hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, and arm entwined with her husband's. Hohenheim, however, while he also was far younger, there was also something else about his appearance that struck Ed. That familiar blonde hair had been cropped off into a short and very neat style, he was clean-shaven, _and_ he was wearing a Military uniform, with a silver chain just barely visible sticking out of his pocket.

"That was taken...oh a little under thirty years ago." the woman began once she was sure Edward knew what he was looking at. "Your mother was sixteen at the time, and your father was eighteen. He'd just taken the State Exam, and obviously passed. He was presented with his uniform and silver watch the very same day and was only waiting on his title. His specialty was decomposition, so he eventually became known as 'The Sealing Alchemist.'"

The blonde's eyes widened and flicked up to Pinako, but she had already moved on.

"The Military decided that his abilities would come in useful to them in the small rebellions going on in the East, and so they shipped him off there. When he came back, about two years later, he no longer worked for the State and he'd given up his Certification."

"What happened?" Ed asked quietly, regarding the seemingly happy man in the photograph.

Pinako just smirked as if she'd been expecting the question the whole time. "It had taken your father about a year to realize just what the Military had in store for him, and when he tried to fight it, they threatened to take away his Certification. He was trying to save up enough to eventually propose to your mother, so he decided she was more important and he followed his orders without anymore question. Until _they_ began asking questions."

Ed's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he knew the answer to his question before he even asked it, "What kind of questions?"

"They wanted to know how he did it. How he was able to break things down so thoroughly, because they couldn't figure it out for themselves, and they thought it prudent to teach their _other_ Alchemists the technique as well. That finally did it, and your father gave up his Certification and his rank and left the Military for good. He took over his father's farm and earned the money that way; it took longer, but he still accomplished what he'd set out to."

The two sat on the bed, Pinako gazing at Edward, and Edward gazing at the photograph in his hands, and the woman just remained silent, letting this new information to sink in.

The blonde finally rose from the bed and tossed the photo back into the hat box as he headed out of the room.

"Edward?" Pinako asked softly after him.

"Thanks for the warning, but now that I know, I'm not gonna make the same mistakes my father did."

* * *

"Brother?"

"Yeah, Al?"

"Do you really want to join the Military?"

Edward glanced down at his little brother, squatting in front of their parents' headstones, wondering if he'd been listening outside of the kitchen when he'd told Pinako. "I'm not sure," he answered honestly, "But I know that I _really_ want to be able to take care of you like Ishould, and this is the best way, I think." The older blonde crouched down beside his brother and, when he saw that uncertain expression he got whenever he was about to point out that he didn't like his older brother doing things just for his sake, Ed reached out and ruffled the younger boy's hair. "You just let me worry about it, okay Bean Sprout?" he teased, dropping his hand to Al's and tugging him up as he stood. "That's my job, remember? I take care of everything, and you just sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor."

Alphonse gave him that uncertain look again, but Ed just bent down and started tickling his sides and the expression melted away in a fit of laughter and they began racing each other through the cemetary and towards the main road. The brothers stopped there, leaning their hands on their knees a few moments, trying to catch their breath, before Edward turned his back to the younger blonde and dropped to one knee.

"C'mon Bean Sprout," he murmured, "Let's go home."

In the fading light of the evening, the two brothers made their way to the house they'd called "home" for the last three years, Edward holding up the younger boy's legs as Alphonse clung to his back; and, while they laughed and teased and joked with each other, anyone who knew the older blonde could tell he was already planning to change that.


	3. 3: Older Brother, 18 Younger Brother, 14

**Notes: For Summary, Disclaimer, Rating, Warnings, and Notes on the timeline, please see Chapter One.**

Whew! It's here! Chapter 3! The last Chapter before the RP itself! Because I still can't think of a better title, this sucky one is just gonna have to stay ick But I'm still working on a better summary, though I don't hate that nearly as much as I do the title.

This chapter is a bit longer than the others, just as I had anticipated, though I'm not sure it's as long as I'd thought it would be. The story itself deals with the results of the State Certification Exam and then Ed's shipment off to Ishbal for the Civil War in the East.

The Exam itself I have taken some liberties with, as is further explained in the chapter itself, mooshing some elements of the manga with that of the anime. Basically the Exam is conducted the way it's portrayed in the anime, but Ed's practical goes the way it did in the manga.

Just to address a question that came up in the last chapter: It was assumed (or supposed to be assumed anyways) that Edward saw The Gate because of his near-death experience in the train accident at the end of Chapter 1, as opposed to the attempted human transmutation as it states in canon. Sorry if this wasn't clear .;;;;

**Chapter 3: Older Brother, 18 Younger Brother, 14**

"Don't worry, Brother, I'm sure you did fine."

"Yeah, right." Edward groaned, shoving a hand into his bangs. "They only take one or two applicants a _year_, and there were at least twenty other Alchemists there. I didn't even finish the written portion and I _really _screwed up on the practical."

The State Exam to become officially certified and recognized as an Alchemist by the Military Government was held once a year at the Central City Headquarters. Each year Alchemists came from all corners of the country to take the exam with the promise of nearly unlimited funds for their research, besides a hefty salary for _themselves_, and, of course, the highly coveted silver pocket watch, engraved with a chimera, the symbol of Amestris and its Military Government, and which would grant the bearer access nearly anywhere they wished, including the Central Library, which contained the records and notes of previous State-Certified Alchemists alongside literally hundreds of thousands of Alchemic texts. It was something that many an Alchemist had tried to gain, but only a select few had ever accomplished; the State Alchemists were the best of the best, and the State Exam was specifically designed to pick them out of the bunch.

The Exam was split into three different parts: The Written Portion, an Interview, and a Practical.

The Written Portion consisted of two-hundred questions dealing with chemistry, geology, botany, mathematics, and Alchemy in general, both the processes and the laws regarding its usage, and the applicants had two hours to complete them all. The questions were designed to test the applicants' level of understanding of the natural world and their competency as Alchemists; for if you do not truly understand the world around you, then you cannot manipulate it to your advantage, as Alchemists do.

The Interview was conducted in a private room at Central Headquarters, conducted by the Fuhrer and overseen by the four highest-ranking State Alchemists. In the center of the room stood a golden chair which was set in the middle of an elaborate array and stood, impossibly, on three legs. The applicant was challenged to approach it without fear and if they were a true Alchemist, then the chair would not reject them. When the applicant was seated, the interview would begin, starting with the question, "Why do you want to become a State Alchemist?"

The final portion of the Exam was the Practical, in which the applicants were given all the materials they might find in any given terrain -- trees, ice, water, earth, and the minerals contained therein -- and were asked to display their skills as Alchemists. They could transmute anything they wanted, which should show off their strength, creativity, and their ability to think clearly under pressure.

While Ed hadn't been able to complete the written portion of the Exam, if anything were to keep him from passing it was what he'd done in the practical portion, he was sure. While the other applicants had been showing off their skills trying to transmute something impressive, something that would show off their skills (some overdoing it a bit and having to be carried off of the field), Ed had been glancing at the Fuhrer out of the corner of his eyes.

The man had just been standing there, a little apart from all the applicants, but with not much more security than one State Alchemist in particular that hadn't seemed to have left his side since the beginning of the Exam. While the other overseers were there, they were scattered around the area where the applicants stood, trying to either intimidate or simply catch a better look at the transmutations themselves, Ed assumed; after all, the Fuhrer couldn't be expected to know _too _well what to look for as far as the transmutations were concerned, not being an Alchemist himself. There were other soldiers stationed around the area, but the more the blonde watched, the more he wondered: Why was such a high-ranking official standing so casually in the midst of these potentially-dangerous people?

Then it struck him, what he could do to grab the man's attention, he just hoped he wasn't going to be going overboard. The blonde waited until the last of the applicants had finished (and been helped off the field by the same rather weary-looking soldier that had helped the others off) and the Fuhrer asked if there were any other applicants that hadn't gone.

"I haven't." Ed announced, stepping out of the crowd of hopefuls before anyone could point him out.

The Fuhrer gave the blonde a discerning look, clearly comparing this eighteen-year-old boy to the other, much older men standing there, before he finally gave a nod. "Go ahead, young man."

The blonde took another quick look around before turning that determined gaze back to the Fuhrer and, without another moment's hesitation, Ed clapped his hands together, completing the circular array with his body, and ignored the gasps and mumbles of surprise as he crouched to the ground and began his transmutation. Golden eyes locked with the one visible of the Fuhrer's as a perfectly-formed spear adorned with the crucified serpent of his Teacher rose from the ground and in the next moment, Ed was charging at the man, moving faster than anyone had time to react, and he didn't stop until the point of the spear was centimeters from the Fuhrer's throat.

It felt like an eternity passed before Fuhrer Bradley lifted his hand, and it was then that Ed noticed the three guns trained at his head. They dropped, however, and Ed pulled the spear back, holding it upright on the ground with one hand while his other sat on his hip.

"Assassinations could have been done just like that." the blonde said, still holding the man's gaze. "Shouldn't you reconsider this method of examination?"

The man lifted his hand to chin with a thoughtful, "Hm," before he answered, "You're right -- I'll rethink it."

Before another word could be said, the man that had been standing beside the Fuhrer began shouting about disqualification. "Don't decide that on your own." Bradley chided. "He had no problem in the Written Exam and Interview, right? From what was seen, his skill is impressive. And, furthermore," the man continued, turning back to regard Ed with a faint nearly imperceptible smirk, "He's got guts. He just doesn't know how big the world is"

Everyone watched in varying states of shock as the Fuhrer turned to leave, the State Alchemists moving to go with him. However, Ed's attention was suddenly focused on the spear in his hands as the tip fell to the ground, cut cleanly off by the saber the Fuhrer had been wearing at his waist and now rested in his hand as we walked away. "Just wait for the announcement of the results." the man called back before he disappeared into the building of the Central Headquarters followed by the guards and the State Alchemists.

Well, it was now the day the results were to be announced, and Ed and Al made there way to Central Headquarters to get the official announcement as to whether or the older blonde had been able to fulfill his goal.

"May I help you?"

"Yeah," Ed answered, walking up to the receptionist in the lobby of the Headquarters building, "I'm here about the State Certification Exam results."

"Name please?" the woman asked wearily, as if she'd been having this conversation all day. Which, of course, she had.

"Edward Elric."

"Edward Elric?" the woman asked, blinking up from the clipboard in her hand before flipping through a few papers. "Edward Elric, born sixteenth of January, 1888 in Rizenbul?" she clarified, reading off of a sheet once she'd found it.

The blonde raised an eyebrow at the woman, turning back to his brother who was most useful as he shrugged and shook his head. "Yeah, that's me."

The woman heaved a great loud sigh of relief, "Oh thank _god_!" and dropped the clipboard back onto her desk, burying her hands her hair as tears suddenly sprung to her eyes.

"Huh?"

The receptionist blinked back up at the young man in front of her and offered him a sheepish smile, straightening up again and fixing her hair. "Sorry," she apologized, "It's just we've been waiting for you all day, we were getting a bit worried that you might not show up at _all_. It _has _happened before, and it's just a matter of tracking the applicant down, but it is such a bother and it's so much easier when they just come back. I think most of the time it's just because they're afraid of the results and--"

"Excuse me," Ed interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose with the fingers of his left hand, trying to be very patient as he waited for some sort of explanation. "I'm sorry, but I'm a little confused as to exactly what's going on."

Again Ed was blinked at with more than a little surprise and the woman just gaped at him wide-eyed for a few moments before a sly little smirk twisted up her lips. "Never you mind," she murmured in a mockery of an innocent tone, tearing the paper she'd just been reading from her clipboard, handing it over to the older blonde, and gesturing him towards a flight of stairs off to his left. "You just take this and then go up those stairs to the top floor, that's the _sixth _floor, and go to room 600, that's the very last one down the hallway to your right, with the big double-doors, and they'll take care of you there."

With that Ed suddenly found himself being pushed off in the direction of the staircase with a piece of paper in his hand. When he managed to get his senses back, the blonde pulled away from the woman's hands and gestured back towards his brother. "Let go of me! Geez. C'mon Al, let's go."

"Oh, no, I'm afraid he can't go." the receptionist objected holding up her hand.

Al, who had already run up to his older brother's side frowned disappointedly. "But...why not?"

"Because," came the answer in a tone that warranted no further objections, "This is private business between Edward Elric and the Military Government. He is not Edward Elric, nor is he part of the Military, therefore, I'm afraid he cannot be allowed to go with you. You can stay here, though, alright?" the woman smiled down at the younger boy, "We can keep each other company while we wait for your brother to get back."

Ed scowled at the woman, but a glance at the reassuring look on Al's face and he simply sighed and turned towards the stairs, listening to the conversation until he couldn't hear it anymore.

"How did you know we were brothers?"

"If it weren't for the shade of your hair and eyes, you two could be identical twins!"

"Oh, right, I sometimes forget that. But Brother _is _taller than me."

"Only by about an inch, though. How old are you?"

"Fourteen."

"Oh, well then, you're still growing. You'll probably be taller than your brother by the end of the year!"

"Don't let him hear you say that! He's a little sensitive about his height."

The paper that the receptionist had thrust into his hands turned out to be Edwards original application to take the State Exam and he briefly read through it for the first time in about a month.

Name: Edward Elric

Age: 18

Date of Birth: 16 January, 1888

Place of Birth: Rizenbul

The application went on to ask such things as "How long have you been studying Alchemy," and "How long have you been practicing Alchemy?" "Have you had any training? If so, from whom and for how long?" "Have any of your family-members worked for the Military Government, as a State-Certified Alchemist or otherwise? If so, please list their name, rank, and whether they are still working for the Military Government. If they are not, please explain why."

This last question was the one that had worried Edward the most; he knew that his father had worked for the Military as a State Alchemist, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that his father had run. Of course the blonde had considered lying -- after all, he could always just claim that his father had never told him, if anyone confronted him about it, which wasn't really untrue -- but he figured that it would probably just be best to write it down anyway, they couldn't honestly punish _him _for his father's transgressions, after all. Besides, he needed this job more than just to raise money to propose to someone; he needed this job to take care of his little brother, and that was far more important than anything.

As Ed ascended the final flight of stairs, he couldn't help but grumble to himself wondering why they'd made him climb all the way to the top floor just to tell him that he'd failed the Exam and "Good luck next year!" Because, even despite that rather strange reaction from the receptionist, the blonde was still _positive _that his antics in the Practical portion had taken it too far.

As he approached room 600, the young man idly noticed that, despite the receptionist's very specific directions that it was "the last room at the end of the hall," there weren't very many rooms to choose from. Even if all of them had had the large mahogany double-doors, guarded by two sentries with rifles, it wouldn't have taken him too long to figure out which one he was supposed to be in, only having to peek into two other offices (well, he assumed they were offices, and down the other way, if he'd turned left after the stairs, appeared to be bathrooms).

Just as expected, the two sentries halted his progress before the blonde got within twenty paces of the double-doors, asking for identification and what business he had being there. "My name's Edward Elric," he answered, holding up his application for the two men, "The receptionist in the lobby sent me up here."

One of the sentries took the paper and quickly read through it before handing it to the other, seemingly for confirmation. When the other nodded, he handed the paper back and both men stepped aside and saluted. "Please, go right in, Sir."

That...was a little odd, considering what Ed had expected since the end of the Exam. But...calling someone "Sir" didn't necessarily mean he'd passed...right? It was just a term used by everyone to politely address a young man of his age or older... Right?

"Ah, Mr. Elric. So you've finally decided to show up, have you?"

Edward blinked a few times as the doors closed behind him and he entered the office; though it wasn't necessarily because of the bright light of the sun filtering in through the immense picture-window behind the desk at the far end of the enormous room. It was because Fuhrer Bradley was sitting behind that desk, wearing that same pleasant grandfatherly smile he had been throughout most of the Exam (though he couldn't honestly say this was wholly unexpected either, especially considering the guard outside).

"Please, have a seat."

Taking an imperceptible deep breath, the young man strode to the chair sitting across from the Fuhrer's desk with an almost palpable air of confidence, though he might not have been able to honestly claim such a thing if asked. Bradley didn't look up from his desk for a few moments and Edward noticed that he seemed to be looking over a file.

"Please, relax, son," the man finally spoke up, "There are just a few questions I want to ask you before we get down to the big business at hand." He paused, as if expecting a response, but not being able to think of one, Ed simply attempted to relax without seeming disrespectful. "Right. First of all, I noticed, over the course of the Examination, that your right arm seems to be made of automail."

That _did _manage to get a response out of the blonde. "How could you tell?"

"Your sleeve would ride up occasionally and I noticed a peek of metal. May I ask how that happened?"

"It was an accident," Ed answered, tugging off his glove and pushing up his sleeve so that the Fuhrer might get a better look, "Six years ago. I was on a train with my little brother and my parents and it derailed. I lost my left leg and right arm."

Fuhrer Bradley "hm'd" thoughtfully as he regarded the young man's steel arm. "Yes, I heard of that incident. A tragedy which I wish our country had not had to face. And what of your family?"

"My younger brother has some minor scarring along his legs, but there were no other injuries. Both of my parents died however."

"Ah yes," the man nodded, "Your parents." Bradley shuffled through a few papers in the file on his desk, his tone somewhat giving away the fact that he'd gotten to the question that he'd really been wanting to ask. "Trisha and Hohenheim?"

"Yes." Ed nodded.

"Hohenheim Elric," Bradley recited from a paper in the file, "The 'Sealing Alchemist,' specializing in the decomposition of materials into their purest forms. Employed by the Military Government as a State-Certified Alchemist and Major 1876 through 1878. Reported Missing In Action June 1878; determined Abandonment of Post July 1878 after receiving notice that he was alive but would not be returning to the Military Government." The Fuhrer looked up from the file and gazed at Ed meaningfully. "Did you know about this, son?"

The blonde pursed his lips, his mouth thinning into a line as he determined the best way to answer that question. "No, Sir. Not until three years ago. A neighbor of ours, Pinako Rockbell, and a long-time friend of my family, took in my little brother and I after the accident. It was from _her _that I learned that my father had even been in the Military. While he was alive, he taught both my brother and I Alchemy, but he never mentioned having ever been in the Military's service."

"I see." Bradley murmured thoughtfully. "And may I ask, what you think of his actions?"

This was where it got a little sticky. If Edward answered wrong, he could completely ruin his chances, which he was now almost positive he had that silver pocket watch nearly in his grasp. "I only know what I heard from Mrs. Rockbell." he answered evenly, "She didn't tell me very many of the actual details, and it had been nearly thirty years since she'd heard the story herself anyway. I think he did what he thought was right, and I can't begrudge him that, however, if he had a quarrel with the Military, then he should have handled it better, gone through the proper channels and asked for a discharge if the problem couldn't have been resolved. However, I would like to also add that, while he was my father, I'm not Hohenheim Elric. If I was, I wouldn't be sitting here right now; yet, even with what I do know, I have chosen this path for myself. I will bear the consequences of my own decisions, but I refuse to bear the consequences of my father's."

The young man sat patiently as Fuhrer Bradley mulled over this information, and he couldn't really deny that he did feel a bit nervous, wondering if maybe he's just pushed his luck for the second time. However, as the man's face, which had settled into a rare serious expression, softened into the more common grandfatherly smile, his worries were lifted.

"Very well, son." the man nodded and rifled through a few more sheets before finding the one he needed and handing it over to Edward.

"Under the authority of Fuhrer Bradley," the young man read aloud, "The name 'FullMetal' will be granted to Edward Elric along with the rank of Official State-Certified Alchemist."

"That is your contract." Ed looked up to see that Fuhrer Bradley was standing, and still smiling warmly down at him. "You need to sign it before you are officially to become known as 'FullMetal,' but there's really no need to read that whole thing. Basically it says, in a lot of fancy words, that, in return for gaining access to resources, research facilities, and funds, you swear loyalty to the Military Government, and vow to never perform a forbidden act of transmutation."

Ed had followed along in the contract itself as Bradley spoke; while there was a bit more detail than that, it did seem to be the major theme. "So I can't perform human transmutation or transmute gold, and I have to remain loyal to the Military, going off to fight should a war break out; and, in return, I get the Military's backing to study just about whatever I want, with your approval and so long as I pass my yearly examination." he clarified.

"That is the basic idea, yes. Also, as you have decided you wish to enroll in the Military as a soldier as well, you would be given the rank of Major, in addition to your title as State Alchemist." Bradley nodded, obviously pleased that the young man was, in fact, reading through what he was about to sign, and he picked up a pen from his desk and offered it to the blonde.

Ed read through the contract one more time before he accepted the pen and signed. He quickly shook away the inexplicable sense of foreboding he felt as he handed Fuhrer Bradley back both the pen and the contract, and the man turned back to his desk, placing the document back in the file and removing another, handing it to Edward along with a white box.

"This is your copy of the certificate officially declaring you as a State Alchemist, and this," he said, removing the cover of the white box to reveal the pristine silver pocket watch within, engraved with Amestris' chimera insignia, "Is your silver pocket watch, recognizing you to everyone else as the 'FullMetal Alchemist.'"

Carefully as though he were touching glass, Edward removed the watch from its box and examined it closely.

"Thank you, Sir." he murmured, standing and offering a vaguely awkward salute.

"At ease, son," the man chuckled softly and watched as Ed put on the pocket watch. "There are still a few details to get into order, but I'll have my secretary contact your commanding officer and he should be in touch with you within two days."

"Right, okay." Ed nodded.

"Well then," Bradley chuckled again, "If you don't have any other questions, then I guess you're dismissed."

The young man gave another more confident salute before he headed out the door, barely even noticing the salutes he received from the two sentries outside the door as he headed back towards the staircase. He must have read through the certificate about thirty-seven times by the time he finally made it back down to the lobby and, before he even realized what was going on, Ed found himself wrapped up in a near-back-breaking hug.

"Congratulations, Brother!" Alphonse shouted. "I knew you'd pass!"

Edward had a moment to glance at the receptionist who merely gave him an innocent shrug, and he simply rolled his eyes at her before prying himself out of that suffocating grip. "Yup, I sure did, Bean Sprout!" he grinned, ruffling his little brother's hair playfully. "Now come on, I'm treating you to a celebratory dinner! Anywhere you want!"

"But, Brother," the younger boy objected as Ed began leading them back out onto Main Street, "This is _your _celebration, _you_ should choose."

"Nope, it's a celebration for _both _of us and, considering I'm the one that's going to end up paying anyway, I insist that you choose."

The two brothers continued arguing until night fell and they were forced to agree on something before all of the restaurants in the city closed.

Edward met the Colonel he would be working under the next day and was presented with his uniform, the deadline at which he was to propose his chosen area of study, and his first paycheck in advance. Most of the money was put away towards renting an apartment for he and Alphonse to share, but, in the meantime, the boys moved into the Military-assigned housing.

It was two weeks later that they received the official announcement: The political unrest in the East had exploded when a soldier, one Juliet Douglas, accidentally shot and killed an Ishbalan child seven years before; the riots which succinctly broke out had been easily handled by the soldiers stationed there. However, the riots had spread all throughout the Eastern area, and a Civil War had broken out. All available troops were to be shipped out to suppress the threat, including the State Alchemists.

"But, Brother, I don't want to go back. I don't want to leave you."

Edward turned back from the ticket booth and handed his brother the ticket before leading him out onto the boarding platform. "Believe me, I don't want to leave either, and I'm not sure how comfortable I am with you going back to Rizenbul with how close it is to the conflict. But if something's going to happen, I'd rather you be with Winry and Auntie than alone in the dorms."

"But, Brother-"

"No 'but Brothers'!" the older boy snapped, not even flinching as he saw the nearly hurt expression on Al's face. "I promised that I'd take care of you Al," he continued firmly, gazing steadfastly into those bronzed eyes, "One way or another. I'd rather stay here with you, and, believe me, I would if I could; but that's not possible right now. I'm being shipped off to Ishbal with the other State Alchemists day after tomorrow, and I won't leave you behind by yourself. I'm sending you back to stay with Pinako and Winry, and that's that. There is nothing you can possibly say that will change my mind."

"But-"

But Al's response was cut off by the whistle of the train as it came into the station and both boys turned to watch it, Edward with a look of angry impatience, and Alphonse with an expression of wary fright. Before the train had even stopped, the older brother had lifted Alphonse's suitcase and was heading towards one of the doors. Once the flow of departing passengers had trickled to a stop, Ed carried the suitcase onto the train and secured it in the overhead compartment, nearly forcing the boy himself into the seat below it and forcing himself to ignore the cries that were steadily growing in anguish as he stepped off of the train.

"_Brother_!" he heard the younger boy cry through the open window, and he finally turned back, still keeping the same expression of fierce determination, even as he saw the tears running down the younger blonde's cheeks. "Brother, I want you to promise me! Promise me that you'll come back! And you'll bring me back here with you!"

The older boy's answer was cut off by the engineer giving the last call; there weren't too many people looking to head East now that the civil unrest had reached a head, and all of the passengers had already gotten on board, so the train wasn't even going to bother waiting.

"_Brother_!" came another shout, becoming even more desperate.

"I promise!" came the reply over the second call to board, and the older boy had to raise his voice even more as the whistle called and the engines started up again, and he had to start following the train down the platform as it began its slow departure. "As soon as I come back, Bean Sprout! I'll come and pick you up myself and drag you back to Central! I promise, Al! I promise, Bean Sprout!"

He wasn't even sure if younger boy had heard him, but he could still see him clearly enough to see that there were still tears running down his cheeks, and he wiped a stray one away himself.

Alphonse watched the receding station platform, and Edward watched the departing train until neither could make out anything on the seemingly empty horizon and, as each turned their backs to face their separate immediate futures, it would be the last time the Elric brothers would see each other for a very long time.


End file.
